“I could kill you right now, but it might ruin my boyfriend’s day.” 

For Sean and Lisa, it was loathing at first sight. He was an overly moody, sulking rich boy who thought he was smarter than everyone else. She was temperamental trailer trash who solved all of her problems by choking the life out of them. Once they crossed paths, they both vowed never to make that mistake again. There was just one problem, and that was Eugene, the loveable teddy bear of a man who was Lisa’s boyfriend and Sean’s best buddy.  

We meet our rivals for Eugene’s affections and follow them through several short stories and not-quite-novellas as they become bound to each other, and then separate, only to return to each other time and time again, proving that no one will ever know you better than the one who most wants to kill you. 

In “Clear Spirits,” Eugene has the worst morning after in history. In “Buds,” Sean is getting to know his new friend, and unfortunately getting to know his best friend’s girl. In “The Deal,” All Lisa wants to do is buy some drugs, but she’s got Sean to look after too. In “Waking Dream,” Sean has a complicated one-night stand that’s actually pretty straightforward. In “Week in the Head,” Sean says goodbye to the college that molded him, but a beautiful siren is begging him not to leave. In “Estranged Days,” an adult Lisa and Sean confront some of the ghosts from their past, who happen to be each other. And finally, in “Separation Anxiety,” Sean and Lisa go through years of history, together and not, and are forced to come up with a final conclusion about them.